The Lost Mine of Phandelver

Alberich Strongbeard

Description:

Alberich Strongbeard gets his name from the iron color of his long black and gray beard. He stands tall for a dwarf, wears burnished bronze plate armor, and carries the King’s Hammer.

Bio:

Alberich Strongbeard ruled by right over the distant dwarven kingdom of Nigh Galador during the 12th and 13th centuries (Dale Reckoning). The mountains and foothills of his domain enjoyed peace and prosperity under his rule.

Alberich desired wealth for his people more than military might and would rather acquire precious gems and treasures than weapons. He trusted that the mountain would protect him and his people from outside threats, so long as they were well-provisioned. Historians consider this ironic, considering that his son fell victim to a threat from within — slain during a sudden coup in peacetime.

Phandelver’s Pact

Alberich’s claim to the riches of the Phandelver Mine seems like madness to any but a dwarf. Hailing from the distant land of Nigh Galador, no human, elf, or gnome could see the sense in his meddling in such distant concerns. However, as the mine’s dwarvish founders, Bruenor and Phandred Fatesmelter, are Galadorian, the mine’s prosperity is owed by law to their king, to manage, use, or export as he sees fit. Alberich has no recognized authority to enforce these laws on foreign soil, but the unprecedented wealth and rumored power of the Forge of Spells has drawn his attention.